Sexual Harassment Lawyer in Richmond

If you experienced sexual harassment at a Richmond workplace, you have strong protections under California law. We represent employees only, never employers, and offer a free, confidential consultation. 1-800-371-3088.

What Is Sexual Harassment in Richmond

Sexual harassment in Richmond happens in the same places you go every day: process units, control rooms, and offices at the Chevron Richmond Refinery (NYSE: CVX - Chevron's flagship West Coast refinery; the #1 largest employer and taxpayer in the City of Richmond, supporting 3,800+ jobs per Chevron-commissioned reports; supplies 60% of the jet fuel for major Bay Area airports; the catastrophic August 6, 2012 explosion and fire prompted significant litigation and U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation); container terminals and dry-bulk operations at the Port of Richmond (one of the largest ports in California by tonnage, handling petroleum, vehicles, and bulk commodities); classrooms across the West Contra Costa Unified School District / WCCUSD (1108 Bissell Avenue - established 1965, serves ~28,000 K-12 students across Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, and El Cerrito); patient floors at the Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center (901 Nevin Avenue); research labs at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / LBNL Richmond Field Station (1301 South 46th Street - operated by the Regents of the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy); the Richmond Police Department; and City of Richmond offices at 450 Civic Center Plaza. The most common Richmond pattern is unwanted touching, comments, or pressure from a supervisor, coworker, patient, or customer, followed by retaliation when the worker reports it.

Richmond Industries Where Sexual Harassment Is Most Common

• Petroleum refinery workers at Chevron Richmond Refinery - at the Chevron Richmond Refinery (NYSE: CVX - Chevron's flagship West Coast refinery; the #1 largest employer and taxpayer in the City of Richmond per Chevron-commissioned reports indicating the refinery supports 3,800+ jobs and supplies 60% of the jet fuel for major Bay Area airports; the average Richmond-based Chevron employee compensation is $153,000 / 56% higher than the regional average). The catastrophic August 6, 2012 Chevron Richmond Refinery explosion and fire (which sent 15,000 residents to seek medical attention) prompted significant litigation and a U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation. Petroleum-refinery workers are covered by: (1) Cal/OSHA Process Safety Management standards (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 8, section 5189); (2) California Labor Code section 6310 retaliation protection for safety reporting; (3) federal OSH Act section 11(c) (29 U.S.C. section 660); (4) the federal Clean Air Act whistleblower statute (42 U.S.C. section 7622); (5) Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) and Dodd-Frank (15 U.S.C. section 78u-6) for SEC-registered Chevron Corporation employees; and (6) federal energy-pipeline whistleblower protection. Many refinery workers are represented by the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 5; collective bargaining does not waive statutory FEHA or California Labor Code rights.
• Port, maritime, and rail workers - at the Port of Richmond (one of the largest ports in California by tonnage, handling petroleum, vehicles, and bulk commodities) and BNSF Railway / Union Pacific Railroad operations through Richmond. Longshore workers are covered by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Pacific Coast Master Contract and the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act / LHWCA (33 U.S.C. section 901 et seq.). Rail workers are covered by the Federal Railroad Safety Act / FRSA (49 U.S.C. section 20109) whistleblower protection (OSHA-administered), the Federal Employers Liability Act / FELA (45 U.S.C. section 51 et seq.), and the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. section 151 et seq.).
• K-12 education workers - at the West Contra Costa Unified School District / WCCUSD (1108 Bissell Avenue, Richmond, CA 94801, (510) 231-1100 - established 1965, serves ~28,000 K-12 students across Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, and El Cerrito). Public-school workers have pre-deprivation due-process rights under Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal.3d 194, California Whistleblower Protection Act (Cal. Gov. Code section 8547), and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline (Cal. Gov. Code section 911.2).
• Healthcare and research workers - at the Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center (901 Nevin Avenue - the principal Richmond hospital) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / LBNL Richmond Field Station (1301 South 46th Street - operated by the Regents of the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy). Healthcare workers are covered by SB 525 healthcare worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16) and California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation). LBNL employees have federal whistleblower protection under the Energy Reorganization Act (42 U.S.C. section 5851) and federal False Claims Act protection (31 U.S.C. section 3730(h)).
• Government and public-sector workers - at the City of Richmond (450 Civic Center Plaza - charter city, incorporated 1905), the Richmond Police Department (RPD officers subject to POBR / Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.), the Richmond Fire Department, and Contra Costa County (the county seat is in adjacent Martinez). Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• Retail, restaurant, and casino workers - at chain retailers along Macdonald Avenue, San Pablo Avenue, and the Hilltop area (the Hilltop Mall closed in 2024 for redevelopment) and at Casino San Pablo in adjacent San Pablo (operated by the San Pablo Lytton Casino tribal enterprise - which employs many Richmond residents). Richmond workers covered by the Richmond Minimum Wage Ordinance earn $19.18/hour effective January 1, 2026. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474).

Richmond Local Protections

Richmond has its own local minimum-wage ordinance. The Richmond minimum wage is $19.18/hour effective January 1, 2026 - higher than the California state floor of $16.90/hour. Richmond is a charter city (incorporated 1905). Richmond workers also rely on California state law including SB 525 (healthcare-worker tiered schedule), AB 1228 ($20/hour fast-food), and California-specific Cal/OSHA Process Safety Management standards (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 8, section 5189) directly relevant to Chevron Richmond Refinery workers.

Sexual harassment in Richmond is governed by FEHA (Cal. Government Code section 12940(j)), which covers any Richmond employer with 1 or more employees for harassment claims, and by federal Title VII (15 or more employees). California also requires sexual-harassment prevention training for all employees of companies with 5 or more workers (Cal. Government Code section 12950.1).

California Law

California gives you broad statewide protection against sexual harassment. For the full statutory framework, deadlines, and how the state laws fit together, see our California employment law page and the in-depth California Sexual Harassment Guide.

What Compensation Can You Recover

California does not cap damages for sexual harassment claims. For a full breakdown of what you can recover, see the California Sexual Harassment Guide.

How to File a Sexual Harassment Claim in Richmond

Civil employment lawsuits filed by Richmond workers are heard at the Contra Costa County Superior Court, Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553. For agency contacts, deadlines, and the full filing process, see our California employment law page. We handle the filing process for you, call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.